Dutch dedicated savers

24/05/2011 15:00

The Dutch hold a positive attitude towards saving. In April 2011, the proportion of Dutch consumers who thought their financial situation would allow them to put money aside in the next 12 months was much higher than the proportion who thought they would not be able to save. But the average eurozone citizen is pessimistic when it comes to saving in the near future.

Do you think your financial situation will allow you to save in the next 12 month?

Average eurozone citizen pessimistic about saving

Their optimism sets the Dutch apart from other European countries. The difference between the percentage of positive and negative answers to the question whether consumers think they can put money aside in the next 12 months was 29 in favour of the pessimists in April. Only residents of Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden were more optimistic than the Dutch, but on average, pessimists on this issue have prevailed in the European Union over the past decade.

Putting money aside in the next 12 month by country, April 2011.

Dutch less optimistic

Most Dutch still think it is a favourable time to save, although they were considerably less optimistic in April than in March. The difference between the percentage of positive and negative answers fell from 59 to 52, reaching the lowest level in seventeen years. On average, consumers across Europe think the past months were a more favourable time to save.

Is it a favourable time to save?

Italians and Danes thought it was a good time to save, but people in Hungary, Malta, Latvia, Bulgaria and Portugal thought the opposite.